The eight suspected killers of Major Maxwell Mahama who were arraigned last Friday included the snail seller who allegedly gave a false alarm that led to the lynching of the army officer.

The snail seller, whose name was given as Akosua Takyiwaa, aka Maame Bono, is said to have raised the false alarm by calling the Assembly Member for the Denkyira Obuasi, who mobilised people to allegedly kill the soldier.

The arrest of the eight has brought the number of suspects picked up by the police in connection with the gruesome murder to 52.

They have all been remanded in prison custody.

Captain Mahama had reportedly stopped to buy snails, and when he took money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the trader saw the pistol and reportedly informed the assemblyman of Denkyira Obuasi that the young military officer was an armed robber.

This was made known two weeks ago at a joint press conference by the Ghana Armed Forces and Ghana Police at the Police Headquarters in Accra.

According to the police, without verifying the identity of Captain Mahama, the assemblyman and armed townsfolk accosted the military officers, gave him a chase, shot at him, and eventually pounced on him using cement blocks, clubs, among others, until he died around 10am on Monday, two hours after he had started the jogging.